Summary

Western societies are experiencing a surge in extremism, ranging from expressions of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, and xenophobia to outright violence and terrorism. This extremism and violence are emanating from multiple sources, including radicalized individuals acting on their own volition, ideological political movements and populist parties, and militant networks from all ends of the political spectrum. Yet, despite the diversity of motivations and ideological narratives, extremism in the West can be traced to four major factors that combine to produce radicalization: personal and collective grievances, networks and small group dynamics, political and religious ideologies, and permissive political environments and enabling structures. Understanding how grievances, networks, ideologies, and opportunities combine to undergird radicalization processes is an important step to formulating effective responses to extremism in the West.